Terps Set to Play in Bahamas

Maryland Athletics

7-29-2013

Coming off a successful 2012-13 campaign in which Maryland posted a 25-13 record and advanced to the NIT Semifinals, Mark Turgeon and the Terps' basketball team will participate in a Summer Basketball Tour from August 6-9 in the Bahamas.

The Terps have games on Tuesday, Aug. 6 against the Bahamas All Stars at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 7 versus the Commonwealth Giants at 7 p.m., and conclude the tournament with a game against the Grand Bahamas All-Stars on Friday, Aug. 9 at 11 a.m.

Turgeon returns nine players from a team that finished with the most wins in a single season (25) since 2006-07 season. In addition, three starters return in 2013-14, including sophomore guard Seth Allen, junior guard Nick Faust and junior forward Dez Wells, who was named to the ACC All-Tournament team and led Maryland in scoring (13.1 points per game).

Maryland also returns a pair of instrumental sophomore front court players in center Shaquille Cleare and forward Charles Mitchell and welcomes forward Evan Smotrycz, who didn't play last season after transferring from Michigan. It will also mark the debut of the Terps’ much-celebrated incoming freshman class - -ranked 25th nationally according to 247 Sports.com -- as forward Damonte Dodd and guard Roddy Peters join Maryland this season.

"We are excited about this great opportunity for our young team to have this invaluable experience in playing in the Bahamas," said Turgeon, whose .600 winning percentage is the best by any Maryland head coach in his first two seasons. "This is a terrific experience to learn about another culture, and to be doing it together as a team over the summer helps with our overall chemistry as we begin to prepare for the upcoming season."

Maryland has had 14 scheduled practices between the middle of July until the first week of August, which has been very beneficial for Turgeon’s young and talented team. The Terps enter the 2013-14 season having lost three key players from last year’s team: guard Logan Aronhalt, center Alex Len and forward James Padget. Len ranked second on the team with 11.9 points per game and fifth in the ACC with 7.8 rebounds per game. Following the season, Len (7-1) was taken fifth overall by the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Draft, becoming Maryland’s highest drafted player since Steve Francis went No. 2 overall in 1999.

Entering his third season with the Terps and his 16th overall season as a head coach in college basketball. Turgeon is very optimistic and excited about the progress his team has made over the summer.

"I like the intensity and focus we've had over the summer," Turgeon said. "We have done some great work on the court over the last month and I am really looking forward to seeing how we respond in the Bahamas. We will play three talented teams and it will give us a good indication about the type of progress we have made."

A complete schedule is below and umterps.com will have updates from the Bahamas.